Local schools taking steps to improve nutrition

By Caitlin Fitzpatrick
Local schools in Plattsburgh are taking steps to improve the nutritional value of the food served in cafeterias in order to promote a healthier lifestyle for children and young adults. With the issue of childhood obesity coming into light because of First Lady Michelle Obama’s campaign to stop the growing problem, nutrition in schools has become more of a priority.
Charlene O’Connor, food service director for Plattsburgh City School District, says the schools are providing students with more fresh fruits and vegetables and whole grain products.
“I will purchase whole wheat pasta for the fiber. We have to meet a certain percentage of fiber,” O’Connor says.
She also says how the schools have made simple but important changes such as switching from sugary syrups to fruit juice with canned and cup fruits.
According to the lunch menu, although the schools still serve such items as pizza and nachos, they also serve a vegetable and a fruit at every meal and whole wheat bread for sandwiches and hamburgers.
However, eating healthier sometimes means more money to spend. Mary Lou Megarr, Second Vice President of the Plattsburgh Teachers Association, says that “balancing the nutritious value with the budget is a tricky preposition.”
Although the schools may not offer the most health conscious meals, she does believe that the “schools are doing everything they can to offer nutritious meals and snacks to children while trying to stay in the black financially.”
Megarr also says in order to not waste food cafeterias “can only have fresh fruits and vegetables that keep for long periods of time such as apples, bananas, carrots and oranges.”
O’Connor says that although the schools do still use processed foods in some the items served they are slowly “weaning off”.
“We used to buy chicken nuggets all the time and we just stopped,” she says, giving an example of how changes are being made over time.
MaryAnn Petrilena, president of the advocacy group Better School Food, believes that parents need to get involved as well in order to make sure that their children are receiving adequate nutrition through the schools.
“The best way for parents to monitor the food their kids eat at school is to ask the school to put in a bar code system which lists the food they eat and parents can go online and review the account,” Petrilena says.
Better School Food is an advocacy group that was created by a nutritionist to help parents and educators from all over the country create awareness of the connection between good health and good food.
Petrilena also says parents should conduct “honest and constant discussions at home, review the monthly menu and ask questions.”
Parents can get involved, but an issue remains as to whether children will eat healthier when at school without parental guidance.
“When kids have to decide between something unhealthy and something healthy they will usually choose something unhealthy,” Petrilena says.
But Megarr states as well that “substituting wheat rolls and bread for white is a great way of adding fiber without kids really even realizing they are eating healthier foods.”
Although strides have been made with the nutrition offered in local schools, changes still need to be made.
“I would like to see some of the cereals offered in the morning breakfast program changed to more grains, less sugar,” Megarr says.
According the American Dietetic Association, children usually get enough protein during lunch and dinner, but often lack getting the important ingredient during breakfast. They offer such suggestions as adding eggs and nuts to breakfast items in order to change this trend.
However, O’Connor says that compared to an older version of the cafeteria menu there have been big nutrition changes that the schools should be recognized for including “less processed foods” and “more fresh than canned or frozen.”
She also adds that schools are “offering more entrees and more choices” than ever before.